U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer, chosen by Republicans earlier Tuesday to be the next candidate for speaker of the House, has withdrawn from consideration, The Washington Post reported.
Emmer, R-Minn., the House majority whip, is the third Republican speaker pick since the ouster of Rep. Kevin McCarthy earlier this month to bow out of the race. His withdrawal comes approximately four hours after he was named speaker designate by the party.
Rep. Lance Gooden, R-Texas, told CNN that Emmer “wanted to do what’s best for the conference and he didn’t have the votes so he pulled his name down and got a standing ovation and so now we’re moving onto the next phase.”
Breaking news: Rep. Tom Emmer drops out hours after becoming the latest Republican pick for speaker https://t.co/SbBZCeWukG
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) October 24, 2023
Emmer had been chosen from a group of nine congressmen -- later whittled to eight -- who had declared their candidacy over the weekend.
Emmer won an internal party vote by a 117-97 margin over Mike Johnson of Louisiana earlier Tuesday, The New York Times reported.
Immediately after his nomination, 26 Republicans voted to say they would not support him when a vote came to the House floor, NBC News reported.
He was elected the conference’s nominee at 12:16 p.m. EDT, according to the Post. He dropped out at 4:26 p.m.
Emmer was not helped by criticism by former President Donald Trump, who took to social media to denounce his candidacy, the news outlet reported. On his Truth Social platform, Trump called Emmer a “Globalist RINO” whose elevation to speaker would be “a tragic mistake.”
“I have many wonderful friends wanting to be Speaker of the House, and some are truly great Warriors,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “RINO Tom Emmer, who I do not know well, is not one of them. He never respected the Power of a Trump Endorsement, or the breadth and scope of MAGA -- MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
Republicans originally nominated House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., to replace McCarthy, but he withdrew his candidacy the next day.
GOP members then turned to Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, who was unable to collect the necessary votes in three rounds of balloting. Hours after his third attempt failed Friday on the floor of the House, Jordan lost an internal ballot to remain the nominee for the speaker’s gavel.
Republicans will host another forum to designate a candidate for speaker at 6 p.m. EDT, CNN reported.
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